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Mesh networks ‘integral’ to future wireless communications
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19/09/2006
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A consortium led by Plextek has concluded that mobile mesh networks should be integral to any 4G or ‘beyond 3G’ wireless communications vision. The study, conducted on behalf of communications industries regulator Ofcom, investigated the technical reality of mobile mesh networks.
Steve Methley, a senior consultant with Plextek, said: “Ofcom looked to us as independent experts who could take a step back, assess the real situation and then drill down into the key issues.”
The brief was to identify the capacity constraints of mesh networks, the key problems in mobile mesh system delivery and how to resolve them, and what the timescales for widespread adoption of mesh might be. The study, which focused on mobile mesh networks at frequencies of less than 3.5GHz, made assumptions of challenging future traffic patterns and the applicability of present transport methods to mesh systems.
The study found mobile mesh networks to be strong candidates for extending network coverage when deployed with existing infrastructure, for WiFi hotspots or cellular multi hopping and for coverage extension in a city or urban areas, for example to transmit a signal around obstacles. Using a mesh network to extend coverage costs less than building new infrastructure and reduces the need for large cell sites and consequentially EM radiation.
However, large mobile mesh networks will not be practical for real time voice or video without additional infrastructure. The quality of service or network availability via a mesh network will not be as good as existing services, unless specific steps are taken to reduce the dependence of performance on user behaviour.
Ofcom has now commissioned Plextek to examine the use of wireless technology as an alternative for the provision of the last mile communications to the home.
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Author
Graham Pitcher
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